Pass on processed foods? Not so fast — some prove healthy (recipes)

WASHINGTON What’s one thing Twinkies, chips and frozen pizza have in common?

All of these items fall into the category of “processed foods.”

Over the years, processed foods have developed a stinging reputation in the health and nutrition world. The term is often linked to packages of snacks that are loaded with salt, sugar and fat — three things that wreck havoc on a healthy diet.

But Joe Clayton, CEO of the International Food Information Council, wants consumers to know that not all processed foods are bad. In fact, some are healthy.

This June 30, 2014 photo shows tuna and white bean bruschetta in Concord, N.H. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
Recipes: Cooking with processed foods Canned beans and canned tuna are two main ingredients in this recipe for tuna and white bean bruschetta. Find the recipe here. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
In this image taken on Feb. 13, 2012, nutritional yeast flakes lend a savory, cheesy flavor to this winter-friendly pumpkin and white bean soup with sourdough croutons as shown in Concord, N.H. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
Recipes: Cooking with processed foods This white bean soup with sourdough croutons uses canned pumpkin puree and canned white beans. Find the recipe here.  (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
This Nov. 8, 2011 photo shows pumpkin-roasted red pepper chili in Concord, N.H. This recipe uses a blend of ground bison and finely chopped boneless pork ribs, but any blend of lean meats can be used, including ground turkey or beef and chopped steak.  Also, this recipe can be made vegetarian by substituting beans for the meat.   (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
Recipes: Cooking with processed foods A pumpkin-roasted red pepper chili that uses canned pumpkin puree. For a vegetarian version, substitute canned beans for the bison. Find the recipe here. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
This March 25, 2013 photo taken in Concord, N.H., shows a recipe for Fava Bean Falafel Burger topped with a cucumber yogurt sauce. Falafel are deep-fried fritters made from ground chickpeas or fava beans. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
Recipes: Cooking with processed foods Home cooks can use frozen fava beans in this recipe for fava bean falafel burger topped with a cucumber yogurt sauce. Find the recipe here. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
This May 5, 2014, photo shows sweet potato, grilled corn and black bean salad with spicy cilantro dressing in Concord, N.H. This recipe swaps sweet potatoes for the more traditional white potatoes and loses the standard recipe’s abundant mayonnaise in favor of a dressing high in flavor and low in fat. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
Recipes: Cooking with processed foods This sweet potato, corn and black bean salad is high in flavor and low in fat. Find the recipe here. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
This Feb. 1, 2016, photo, shows slow cooker Southwestern stew in Concord, N.H. This healthy recipe is full of fiber and protein thanks to the combination of black beans, chickpeas and lean ground beef. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
Recipes: Cooking with processed foods An easy slow cooker Southwestern stew that calls for canned tomatoes, bottled salsa, canned black beans, canned chickpeas and frozen spinach. Find the recipe here.  (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
This Sept. 9, 2013 photo shows white chicken chili with lime in Concord, N.H. White beans are a good source of fiber - which means this chili will fill you up - and a very good source of folate and manganese. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
Recipes: Cooking with processed foods A hearty white chicken chili with lime, made from canned white beans. Find the recipe here. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
In this image taken on Jan. 28, 2013, Mardi Gras red beans and rice soup with andouille sausage is shown served in a bowl in Concord, N.H. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
Recipes: Cooking with processed foods Mardi Gras red beans and rice soup with andouille sausage, made using canned beans. Find the recipe here.  (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
This March 14, 2016 photos shows bright and herby three-bean salad in Concord, N.H. This classic salad is given tons of new interest with the addition of spelt, canned hearts of palm and a generous helping of fresh herbs. (AP Photo/J.M. Hirsch)
Recipes: Cooking with processed foods A classic three-bean salad made with spelt, canned hearts of palm and a generous helping of fresh herbs. Find the recipe here. (AP Photo/J.M. Hirsch)
This Oct. 6, 2014 photo shows slow cooker beef stew with chickpeas in Concord, N.H. Fall officially kicks off the season of soups, roasts and stews. And that means it’s time to dig out your slow cooker. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
Recipes: Cooking with processed foods A warm and filling slow cooker beef stew with chickpeas. Find the recipe here.  (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
This March 26, 2017 photo shows white bean and garlic soup in Coronado, Calif. This dish is from a recipe by Melissa d'Arabian. (Melissa d'Arabian via AP)
Recipes: Cooking with processed foods A white bean and garlic soup made with canned white beans. Find the recipe here. (Melissa d’Arabian via AP)
**FOR USE WITH AP LIFESTYLES**   Triple-bean Casserole is seen in this Sunday, March 2, 2008 photo.  This quick and colorful dish uses canned beans, a protein rich staple in any healthy pantry, that keep their nutrients during the canning process.   (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)
Recipes: Cooking with processed foods This triple-bean casserole is quick, colorful and protein rich. Find the recipe here. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)
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This June 30, 2014 photo shows tuna and white bean bruschetta in Concord, N.H. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
In this image taken on Feb. 13, 2012, nutritional yeast flakes lend a savory, cheesy flavor to this winter-friendly pumpkin and white bean soup with sourdough croutons as shown in Concord, N.H. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
This Nov. 8, 2011 photo shows pumpkin-roasted red pepper chili in Concord, N.H. This recipe uses a blend of ground bison and finely chopped boneless pork ribs, but any blend of lean meats can be used, including ground turkey or beef and chopped steak.  Also, this recipe can be made vegetarian by substituting beans for the meat.   (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
This March 25, 2013 photo taken in Concord, N.H., shows a recipe for Fava Bean Falafel Burger topped with a cucumber yogurt sauce. Falafel are deep-fried fritters made from ground chickpeas or fava beans. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
This May 5, 2014, photo shows sweet potato, grilled corn and black bean salad with spicy cilantro dressing in Concord, N.H. This recipe swaps sweet potatoes for the more traditional white potatoes and loses the standard recipe’s abundant mayonnaise in favor of a dressing high in flavor and low in fat. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
This Feb. 1, 2016, photo, shows slow cooker Southwestern stew in Concord, N.H. This healthy recipe is full of fiber and protein thanks to the combination of black beans, chickpeas and lean ground beef. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
This Sept. 9, 2013 photo shows white chicken chili with lime in Concord, N.H. White beans are a good source of fiber - which means this chili will fill you up - and a very good source of folate and manganese. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
In this image taken on Jan. 28, 2013, Mardi Gras red beans and rice soup with andouille sausage is shown served in a bowl in Concord, N.H. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
This March 14, 2016 photos shows bright and herby three-bean salad in Concord, N.H. This classic salad is given tons of new interest with the addition of spelt, canned hearts of palm and a generous helping of fresh herbs. (AP Photo/J.M. Hirsch)
This Oct. 6, 2014 photo shows slow cooker beef stew with chickpeas in Concord, N.H. Fall officially kicks off the season of soups, roasts and stews. And that means it’s time to dig out your slow cooker. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
This March 26, 2017 photo shows white bean and garlic soup in Coronado, Calif. This dish is from a recipe by Melissa d'Arabian. (Melissa d'Arabian via AP)
**FOR USE WITH AP LIFESTYLES**   Triple-bean Casserole is seen in this Sunday, March 2, 2008 photo.  This quick and colorful dish uses canned beans, a protein rich staple in any healthy pantry, that keep their nutrients during the canning process.   (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)

“Processed and packaged food can be filled with the same sort of nutrients that you can get at a farmers market,” Clayton said.

“Just because it’s in a package or just because it’s in a box doesn’t mean it’s bad for you and doesn’t mean you can’t get great nutritional outcomes from your shopping.”

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics defines processed food as any food that has been purposely changed in some way before consumption, including anything cooked, canned, preserved or fortified.

Bagged spinach, frozen vegetables, canned beans and whole grain cereals are all considered processed foods. So are popular vegan and vegetarian staples, such as tofu, plant-based proteins and veggie burgers.

“It used to be that when you ate a bowl of cereal, you didn’t have access to the nutrients that are now in cereals nutrients like B vitamins and zinc and magnesium that come from fortification of packaged foods,” Clayton said.

To help debunk some of the hype and hysteria generated around processed foods, Clayton and his colleagues at the International Food Information Council launched a new campaign, called Process This.

The campaign doesn’t advocate that consumers eat only packaged foods. (There’s no way around it, a Twinkie-only diet is not healthy.) Rather, it encourages consumers to educate themselves on what they’re buying.

“Our focus is really to get consumers to understand that just because food has a scientific name or it’s something they don’t understand, doesn’t mean it’s dangerous,” he said, adding that even hard-to-pronounce names shouldn’t be feared.

Vitamin E, for example, often goes by the name alpha tocopherol on an ingredient panel when used as a preservative.

“You should look at the label and make sure that you’re getting what you want and that you understand it,” Clayton said.

“There are lots and lots of ways to achieve a balanced, nutritious diet, and there are a lot of sources for balanced, nutritious food.”

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